A book that makes you think and at the same time warms your soul. Roy spends all his free time in a small shop that sells books and stationery. This shop is an island of stability amid politically protesting Tehran. There Roy meets his first love, Bahman—a boy of his age who is passionate about poetry and dreams, together with Roy, about a happy future for their country. But unfortunately, in Iran—still living under strict religious and patriarchal rules—love is not always a worthy reason to be together. Ali Fakhri, the shop owner where Roy spends all his free time, has a very personal, sad story on this matter. That’s why, noticing love between young people, he decides to help their feelings bloom.
An elderly Iranian woman, Roy Kayam, married Archer, visits her longtime lover at a retirement home north of New York… “A moving story about lost love.”
“A story of the collapse of an ordinary life and love for a lifetime.”
“I’m delighted by this book! In the spirit of ‘The Notebook,’ only better (sorry, Ryan Gosling).”
“Marjan Kamali created a piercing story of political upheaval in Iran and an unfortunate love story that unfolds against that backdrop.”
“A colorful depiction of 1950s Iran… Roy and Bahman’s dramatic love story—like a mirror reflecting the complicated history of their country.”
“First love against springtime Tehran, steeped in the aromas of books and the most delicious Persian cuisine.”